ABC Analysis Q4 2016: The biggest-circulating consumer mags in SA

by Herman Manson (@marklives)The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period October–December 2016 (ABC Q4 2016); see our newspaper ABC analysis here. Apart from highlighting several figures that stand out for us, we’ve also updated our list of the biggest-circulating consumer titles in SA.

Note: we compare the current figures with the same figures for this time the year before, and not with the previous quarter. Green equals growth; red declined; purple maintained, new entrant or renamed; orange discontinued or resigned; pink no submission or suspended; and brown minimal newsstand sales.

Custom magazines saw an overall circulation decline to 7 031 102 from 7 266 175 in the corresponding previous reporting period. Single copy sales in this category stood at 35 832, and total paid for circulation at 1 652 569.

Farmer’s Weekly is down to 11 836 from 12 705 and Landbouweekblad has fallen to 26 098 from 31 221. Plaastoe made no submission. Marktoe! came in at 8 716 [corrected 2017/02/09]. Veeplaas has fallen to 7 787 from 9 573.

Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation:

Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation:

Entertainment & celeb news

People has continued its circulation decline by falling to 42 708 from 52 672. TV Plus (Afrikaans) is down to 29 520 from 33 537; the English edition has fallen to 24 545 from 34 607.

Bona is down to 57 828 from 74 866 in the previous corresponding reporting period. Drum has collapsed to 53 207 from 80 807, Huisgenoothas dropped to 207 661 from 237 938, and YOUhas fallen to 110 554 from 131 774.

The Big Issue has fallen to 12 523 from 14 163. Taalgenoot is down to 68 427 from 69 023.

Health, fitness, sport

Compleat Golfer is up to 9 594, from 8 337 (total free = 5 852). Amakhosihas fallen to 14 735 from 18 532 and Kick Offis down to 23 795 from 28 566. Golf Digest has fallen to 7 826, down from 8 068. Zigzag has been suspended.

Magnum has fallen to 11 020 from 13 268 while Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag is down to 9 089 from 9 857. SA Hunter has fallen to 42 592 from 44 339.

Hitting the road

CAR has seen a bump to 65 228 from 64 632 but Leisure Wheels has fallen to 14 753 from 15 198. Drive Out/WegRy has declined to 21 512 from 26 755. TopGear and TopCar have both been closed down.

Bike SA is down to 12 533 from 15 93915 939. SA 4×4 has fallen to 13 882 from 16 541. Speed and Sound is down to 27 041 from 31 541.

Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishoudinghas declined to 45 340 from 54 282 (total free: 7 150), Ideas/Ideeshas declined to 43 814 from 56 088. Leefhas been listed as discontinued (see Ideas/Idees and Lééf transfer to former editors). Move! has collapsed to 79 237 from 104 152. True Loveis down to 42 373 from46 827 and Vroue Keurhas dropped to 55 298 from 59 345. Woman and Home is down to 84 993 from 93 165 (total free: 5 649).

Essentials is down to 24 649 from 28 022. Grazia has been discontinued. Kuier has fallen to 99 684 from 108 428.Marie Clairehas dropped to 20 933 from 32 598 (total free = 3 256). Rooi Rose is down to 73 446 from 79 676 (total free: 6 352). Sariehas fallen to 68 305 from 79 632. Your Family is down to 35 277 from 42 880. Women’s Health has declined to 34 937 from 42 694, and Longevity to 15 434 from 16 370. Finesse has changed frequency to 9 x annually and fell to 43 429 from 47 414.

The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list*

Huisgenoot: 207 661

YOU: 110 554

Kuier: 99 684

Woman and Home: 84 993 +1

Move!: 79 237 -1

Tuis/Home: 78 432

Rooi Rose: 73 446 +2

Taalgenoot: 68 427 -1

Sarie: 68 305 +1

CAR: 65 228 re-entry

Bona: 57 828Weg/Go: 55 072 falls out of Top 10

*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2016 Q3 data.

One Response to “ABC Analysis Q4 2016: The biggest-circulating consumer mags in SA”

Meanwhile some custom titles like Ackermans Club magazines have steadily been growing with increases in audience of 20% or more with ABC’s over 200 000 strong and growing and reaching audiances in excess of 2mil per month. But as they are seen as trade titles they struggle to win a share of agency FMCG budgets which are continually spent on the same tired and declining channels. Food for thought maybe?